On the heels of her beloved father’s murder, betrayed by those closest to her, Annabelle had a choice to make: accept the man responsible and fall in line, or suffer the consequences. Never one to back down, she rejected her new stepfather—then spent years ignoring his best efforts to crush her spirit.

Atonement.

Liam Hunt never needed it.

Some people deny the darkest sides of themselves; Liam’s made a career out of his. Never once has he hesitated to pull the trigger, but an unexpected encounter with Annabelle leads to feelings he hasn’t experienced before—and doubts about his current assignment.

Liam knows he should leave her alone, keep his head down, and do what he’s being paid to do, but he can’t bring himself to stay away. He’s the last person anyone would classify a hero, but he can’t shake the doomed desire to be hers.

He shouldn’t want her.

She shouldn’t trust him.

On a course set for utter devastation, can these forbidden lovers find their way to happily ever after?

Inspired by the classic tale Snow White, The Last Boss' Daughter is a modernized, darker re-imagining.

This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Well I’m enjoying the new approach with the last couple of mafia romances I have read and The Last Boss’ Daughter is no exception! I am detecting a swing to where one or more of the main characters are not about embracing ‘the life’, because usually, it’s the other way around. When Annabelle runs into a man (or did he run into her? – eh ‘shrugs’ semantics!) who pins her against a tree, a fire in her ignites. A dangerous situation to be in but she doesn’t flinch, remaining unfazed throughout. There’s every chance she is swapping her farce of a marriage for an unknown and dangerous man.

Trapped into an arranged marriage she wanted no part in, she does what she needs to do to survive. Annabelle allows herself time to reminisce of happier and innocent times when life was much simpler. A time before her father had been murdered and her mother was not with the cruel stepfather she now had acquired. Each year, she returns to the junkyard, helps herself to an apple or two and sits on the swing, connecting with her father.

No matter how I feel, no matter what I want, I can’t save her.

It is during her visit to the old junkyard that she runs into Liam. A killer who looks like nothing but temptation in her eyes. She doesn’t hold back in letting him know what he is doing to her, and she has something telling her the feeling is mutual. Her candidness takes him aback, and at that point, she begins to get under his skin.

Annabelle is a thorn in Liam’s side as well as her family’s, but for very different reasons. With Liam, she is vibrant and animated. When she is with her husband or family, she is blatantly unhappy, masking it enough to keep them appeased and remain off their radar. They are each other’s forbidden fruit and neither should be associating with the other.

“Who knew apples caused so much trouble,” she said lightly.

I drew analogies from the story of Adam and Eve, with the plot having a forbidden base. The numerous mention of apples and taking them from a place that was precious to her, holding the memories of a loving father. There was the temptation in picking the apples, dancing with the devil and the knowledge gained from trespassing a sanctuary.

The Last Boss’ Daughter is a quick paced suspenseful story. It had the feel of the beginning of a series, and I hope there’ll be more stories that branch off this book. While this is a complete story, there were aspects of the plot I was eager to see expanded upon, especially Raj and Ryder.